Tell us about your organization. How big is your team? Where are you based? What is your organization’s specialty in the film and video space?
MDR Advertising is an independent, full-service agency based in Corpus Christi, Texas, with a team of about 23 people working across brand strategy, creative, digital, media and content. In film and video, we focus on finding the story that can make people care. Whether we’re telling the story of a community, a destination or an organization, we approach video as part of a larger brand strategy, not just as a standalone production.
Tell us about your Telly Award winning piece. What’s the story behind it?
Together, We Heal was created for Driscoll Health System and tells the story of an organization deeply connected to the families and communities it serves. Rather than focusing solely on facilities, technology or traditional healthcare messaging, we wanted to capture the human side of Driscoll. The people behind the care and the impact they have on children and families across South Texas. The result was a piece built around emotion, connection and a simple idea: healing is something people do together.
What was your biggest challenge during production and how did you solve it?
Healthcare stories can easily become overly clinical or feel like traditional institutional advertising. Our challenge was to communicate the scale and importance of Driscoll while keeping the story personal and authentic. We kept bringing the creative back to people. The patients, families, caregivers and moments of connection that make the organization meaningful. That gave the piece an emotional center while still communicating the strength of the Driscoll brand.
What are you most proud of about this piece? What is the most memorable response you got from this work?
Actual, real tears were shed. Not just on set during the production, but also during various viewings and talks we’ve given on the process. We don’t set out to make people cry but we do set out to trigger an emotion. This campaign did just that because it told real stories and actually used real patients, doctors and staff. That goes a long way in creating authenticity.
You won a Telly Award for this piece. Why is recognition important for you, your team or your work?
Recognition like a Telly Award is meaningful because great work is rarely the product of one person. It represents the collaboration of our creative team, production partners and, most importantly, a client willing to trust the idea. Awards aren’t why we create the work, but having that work recognized by our industry is a great validation for everyone who helped bring it to life.
Tell us what you’re up to! If there’s a new project, launch, or milestone you’d like us to celebrate with you, let us know, and we might share it with our community.
MDR continues to create brand and campaign work for organizations throughout Texas and beyond, with storytelling playing an increasingly important role in how we help brands connect with their audiences. Our recent work spans healthcare, tourism, arts and culture, higher education and major community initiatives. We’re especially excited about projects that allow us to bring strategy, brand, film and digital together to tell a larger story across multiple channels.
